Yuko Shimizu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuko Shimizu
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Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010
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| Born | November 1, 1946 Kyoto, Japan
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Yuko Shimizu (清水 侑子, Shimizu Yūko, born 1 November 1946) is a Japanese designer. She is famous for creating the beloved character Hello Kitty.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yuko Shimizu was born in Kyoto, Japan, on November 1, 1946. She loved art and went to Musashino Art University. After she finished her studies, she joined a company called Sanrio.
Creating Iconic Characters
Yuko Shimizu started working at Sanrio in 1973. There, she designed her first character for the company, named Coro Chan.
The Birth of Hello Kitty
In 1974, Yuko Shimizu created the original design for Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty's fictional birthday is also November 1, just like Yuko Shimizu's! Hello Kitty quickly became Sanrio's most famous and successful character.
Shimizu got the idea for Hello Kitty's name from a black cat named 'Kitty' in the book Through the Looking-Glass. She designed Hello Kitty to be a kawaii (which means cute in Japanese) symbol. This cute character was meant to be used on many different products. In 1975, Hello Kitty first appeared in Japan on a small coin purse.
Sanrio has explained that Hello Kitty does not have a mouth because she "speaks from the heart." They also say she is "Sanrio's ambassador to the world," meaning she can connect with people everywhere without needing a specific language.
Life After Sanrio
Yuko Shimizu left Sanrio in 1976. She decided to get married and then started working as a freelance designer. This means she worked for herself and took on different projects. Even though Hello Kitty became very popular, Shimizu did not earn a lot of money from her creation.
Since then, she has created other characters. These include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon. She has also written and illustrated several picture books for children.
